Staffy dog aggression, any tips on dealing with it?

Just as the title says, we got cairo at the weekend, he is ace around the house, so well behaved but everytime he see's another dog he has to have a good old grumble about it. he is around 18month old and a rescue dog, he is so so placid around the house but this is the one thing i have to deal with so any hints and tips would be greatly appreciated




25 veiws and no responses ! someone somewhere must have had this problem !

Staffies are amazing dogs but are very aggressive to other breeds my 6month old female is so loving,i`ve had her from 5weeks so have had to spend a lot of time training her,she`ll let any member of my family check her teeth and claws and brush her she does everything on commandeven sleeps in or on,me and the birds bed,but she hates other dogs even though she has associated with other breeds from an early age,after all they are fighting dogs,you`ll just have to keep your dog on a lead around other dogs,i like to think i`m pretty knowledgeable about the breed and it appears you either have a placid staffie or an aggressive one,a staffie should tolerate other dogs but if challenged WILL RESPOND

sorry i've been really busy with the website, what you need to do is when you see another dog look for the signs like hair on the back go up, ears and tail and when you see it before he going loopy stop him turn around and walk the other walk make sure hes not turning around to the other dog.

whats merging??i`m old school to staffies but new to this internet lark

merging the topic together

merging is lost on me,i`m just a dopey "DEVONSHIRE DUMPLING"

sorry janey and anyone else i dont know what a thread is,thought i was just replying to other members messages

it's ok mike you new to this, we are talking in thrend/topic now

Hey mikecoles, I notice you're in Plymouth. Me too. Ford area. Whereabouts are you?

to shontelle,i live in crownhill mate

Steve wrote:merging the topic together

is that like a mind meld aka wot mr spock does

but back on track ,you just have to be alert to whats around when your out with your staffy,when I'm out with my 2 I'm looking 100 yards or more down road or track in woods just so i/we don't just walk into another dog possibly un leashed unexpected,forewarned is forearmed

I am actually surprised that the person who started this thread was able to adopt their staffie given that I was once told by an animal behaviourist for the RSPCA that they don't allow dog aggressive staffies to be adopted. They are simply put to sleep as anybody will have seen if they watched the documentary last year on Battersea dogs home, showing a very quick arbitrary test that would literally decide whether or not a dog was allowed to live. I found it rather shocking to view but they are dealing with thousands of abandoned staffies every year.

We have a rescue dog and she is excellent with other dogs whether big or small and getting better all the time, having just reached 3 years old. She runs off the lead daily in the woods, on beaches and in fields. I keep an eye out for the obvious trouble makers and try to steer clear but on the whole I can rely on Bailey's good sense to largely ignore the other dogs and casually walk past. She is neither scared nor aggressive and I would strongly dispute one of the earlier posts in this thread claiming that staffies are inherently aggressive towards other breeds. That is nonsense.

In answer to the original question I'd first of all try to remind the OP that their dog has been through a rough period and is probably suffering from a degree of anxiety that may well calm down given a bit of time in a stable well cared for environment. I am assuming the dog has been neutered and if not get it done a.s.a.p.

The majority of dogs that end up in rescue homes are aged between 6 months to just over 2 years old because they are in their difficult "teenage phase". For that reason it's important that you are patient and loving but also set some real boundaries so training lessons and regular routines would be highly beneficial in this case and pay real dividends. I wouldn't be surprised if this dog ended up in a rescue home previously because the last owners were clueless and possibly even encouraged this kind of behaviour. We became Bailey's third owners when she was just two years old, so she had already gone through quite a bit of upheaval in just a short time.

Don't underestimate the healing powers of exercise for a dog. Staffies are natural athletes and highly exuberant, so they will benefit greatly from real exercise that consumes all that excess energy. It's not enough to go for a ten minute walk once or twice a day as some people do. I work from home so Bailey is never left alone for extended periods and she is exercising for two hours every day.

Above all if you have concerns discuss the issues you are facing with the rescue home. They know the dog and will have people who are used to this kind of situation. Make sure you take positive action to fix this problem so that it doesn't become worse.

blue has only starting showing signs of aggression towards other dogs ..but never out walking.he only does it at home when in the garden and another dog passes by.my previous staff behaved exactly the same.

dakota's not agressive at all , shady displays aggression when he's on the lead , postures up hackles up growls at bigger dogs , off the lead he sniffs and goes about whatever he was doing dunno if its a protection thing on the lead or not but he doesn't do it when maz has him out

Just to add in ( for ashleyk) he has been neutered, he isnt overly aggressive, he doesnt "go" for other dogs, but he really really doesnt like his space being invaded. if the other dog is 15 feet away he doesnt react, any closer and he lets it be known he doesnt like the situation. i only asked the question as i have never owned a bull breed before. His foster parents said they didnt have any problems with him when meeting other dogs off the lead, so the lead may well be the issue.

I too did think that a aggresive dog would not be re-homed and would be pts irrelivent of the breed.
My input to the debate would be if you cannot be sure that your dog will not be aggresive to another dog in a public place then keep it on a lead.
A lot of breeds of dogs are dominant and dog aggresive but most breeds will have a fight and thats it the bull breeds if the light switch goes on then it can be very nasty. Our dogs are our responsibility and we owe it to them to keep them safe from stigma and persicution by being responsible owners

Well said Gem!

Yes, well said indeed.

I know, for example, that Dempsey is a little bit dominant (ok, I know, he's a lot dominant!) so if I see another dog, he goes straight on his lead.

cairo wrote:Just to add in ( for ashleyk) he has been neutered, he isnt overly aggressive, he doesnt "go" for other dogs, but he really really doesnt like his space being invaded. if the other dog is 15 feet away he doesnt react, any closer and he lets it be known he doesnt like the situation. i only asked the question as i have never owned a bull breed before. His foster parents said they didnt have any problems with him when meeting other dogs off the lead, so the lead may well be the issue.

OK I understand. This could be down to any number of factors such as possibly having been attacked in the past while on the lead for example or may even be a reaction that has been instilled into Cairo from a bad previous owner that requires some retraining.

Some dogs are naturally more uptight on the lead because they feel more vulnerable, but if you are feeling anxious as other dogs approach that could also be felt by Cairo and possibly be contributing towards this reaction. It is imperative that you become the rock in Cairo's life as a source of consistently calm and affectionate authority. An unbalanced bull breed without boundaries is a potential nightmare but staffies can be the most affectionate and trustworthy friend in all situations given the right direction. This problem on the lead is just one behavioural trait you need to fix and I am sure you can be successful but finding the solution will help you in other areas as well.

Personally I'd try to deal with this problem as quickly as possible along with any other issues because now is the time when you establish what kind of relationship you have with your dog and what you expect of him. The first couple of months with a rescue dog is what they call the honeymoon period when they are still on their relatively best behaviour, while they size you up and decide what their boundaries are. You have to set those boundaries and lead by example with kind but firm control, especially when they are at this kind of age.

Believe it or not Cairo will be crying out for a stabile environment with fixed rules, so this kind of consistent approach with you and any other member of your family will be enthusiastically embraced as Cairo understands he has a permanent position within that group.

Never resort to abuse or aggression when he makes a mistake but instead show him calmly what you expect and praise him lavishly when he does well. I have never once been aggressive or abused Bailey in any way but she knows I am the boss and that she must also act gently with other members of the family including our cat. Staffies in particular seem to crave human affection; responding with unrivalled loyalty and a willingness to please. The good news is that it gets progressively easier and better in every way as they grow older.

Naturally you must not let Cairo off the lead to start with until you have formed a strong bond and the RSPCA told us to wait for the first month until you can really feel they have a connection with you. The first time I let Bailey off the lead I chose a small empty beach surrounded by high cliffs, so there was only one small exit point, reducing the risk that she might run off and we did that every day for a couple of weeks before trying somewhere else.

Rescue dogs and in particular bull breeds who enter a loving new home often form an incredibly strong bond with the new owners with an attachment that can often exceed that of other dogs, so when Cairo starts to understand that you are providing leadership and always have his best interests at heart you will be rewarded with the greatest loyalty and affection you could imagine.

In terms of practical steps I would get Cairo into obedience classes or even one on one classes with a good trainer as soon as possible and follow up at home. Cairo doesn't have to become like a performing pony but now is the right time to establish that connection of trust and control so he learns what is expected of him. For example before Bailey eats she always sits down and then looks me in the eye. Small points like this both indoors and out ensure you end up with a well balanced dog that is a pleasure to be around. Try to create similar rules like teaching Cairo to wait before jumping out of the car when you open the door.

I'd certainly agree with the training classes. You don't have to turn your dog into a robot, but they can learn a lot about interracting with other dogs & humans.

I'm the same Caryll. As soon as I see another dog (who is not in Buster's clique) he's straight back onlead. He gets a bit dominant with strange dogs, unless they are Golden Retrievers. Golden Retrievers, for some reason, he idolises.

Tiny has is aggressive towards other dogs. He gets on fine with females thou! lol If i'm out walking him it has to be a field where i can see at least 100 yrds in front of me so i can recall and put him on his lead without any incidents. He has been attacked twice in the past and has become more aggressive due to this. I've never taking him to dog training but i would suggest it if the dogs behaviour becomes problematic.

It is only some rescues who wont take in and re-home dog aggressive dogs any more.... Sadly Battersea and the RSPCA shelters fall in to these few and being two of the most well known rescues this is why so many poor dogs are being pts.

Both my rescue centre and the other two rescues I volunteer for will take in and re-home dog aggressive dogs to sensible, experienced homes only. However for legal reasons we now cannot take in any dogs that have bitten a human.

I have to say that the majority of Staffies we get into rescue are ranging from a bit iffy with other dogs to completely dog-aggressive. It is obviously harder to place these dogs in suitable homes but we have always managed successfully. We have never had a dog pts for its behaviour around other animals.

Well done! It shows what you can do if you really try!

cairo wrote:Just to add in ( for ashleyk) he has been neutered, he isnt overly aggressive, he doesnt "go" for other dogs, but he really really doesnt like his space being invaded. if the other dog is 15 feet away he doesnt react, any closer and he lets it be known he doesnt like the situation. i only asked the question as i have never owned a bull breed before. His foster parents said they didnt have any problems with him when meeting other dogs off the lead, so the lead may well be the issue.

It can be quite hard to get them out of this, but practice is worth it believe me, if you can talk to some of the people who's dogs he has a problem with explain to them and ask for help. have him sit next to you, your hand full of nice treats, have the other person and dog walk past everytime he looks at it with no aggression give a treat and everytime he shows aggression give a correction, but remember to stay calm yourself if your anxious or nervous he'll pick up on it and react badly. growling isn't always aggression it depend on the body language that comes with it, he also may not like the others energy so only let them approach your dog if their calm.

karmadog wrote:It is only some rescues who wont take in and re-home dog aggressive dogs any more.... Sadly Battersea and the RSPCA shelters fall in to these few and being two of the most well known rescues this is why so many poor dogs are being pts.

Both my rescue centre and the other two rescues I volunteer for will take in and re-home dog aggressive dogs to sensible, experienced homes only. However for legal reasons we now cannot take in any dogs that have bitten a human.

I have to say that the majority of Staffies we get into rescue are ranging from a bit iffy with other dogs to completely dog-aggressive. It is obviously harder to place these dogs in suitable homes but we have always managed successfully. We have never had a dog pts for its behaviour around other animals.

I suppose the dog aggressive behaviour you are seeing can more than likely be traced back to poor previous owners much of the time. After all, the dogs have been abandoned and in some cases more than once under very bad circumstances.

Yesterday I was walking in the woods and had a near miss with a fight situation that I was luckily able to avert. At a certain point we came across a couple who had a small terrier and a dog that looked to be 75% bulldog and probably 25% staffie. It may even have been one of those bulldog variants bred in recent years to be less cumbersome than the standard English bulldog, being the same sort of height as Bailey but heavier built than her. It was not a fat by any means though.

As we met on the muddy trail Bailey rather responsibly just kept moving and stayed on the other side of the path so that all could pass smoothy but the bulldog decided to follow her in a rather dominant fashion. Bailey turned to face the other dog when it started crowding her but didn't show any sign of aggression.

I was watching this very carefully at a close distance because I didn't like the body language of the bulldog and then as both heads started to raise (not a good sign) I heard the bulldog give a low growl, so I stepped in immediately and grabbed it by the collar, which just seemed to break its concentration, so the situation diffused and Bailey was able to relax.

The other owner seemed a bit clueless and said her dog just wanted to play but the body language and the way it had followed Bailey was all wrong. She then put the bulldog on the lead and walked away pretty quickly, which was fine by me. It's incredible how dogs forget these things though and by the time we had walked round the corner I don't think Bailey was even giving it a second thought.

you cant say because a dog is dog aggressive that its likely down to bad ownership , thats not right .

shady displays aggression as i said on page 1 , dakota doesn't , im not a bad owner

niff wrote:you cant say because a dog is dog aggressive that its likely down to bad ownership , thats not right .

shady displays aggression as i said on page 1 , dakota doesn't , im not a bad owner

I have never said it is categorically down to bad owners. Very often it is though and as the animal behaviourist dog trainer at the RSPCA told me last year most cases of aggression in dogs she deals with are owner induced. We've all seen the owners who shout orders at their dogs constantly and berate them in a heavy handed physical fashion for every small mistake. Dogs like this very often turn nasty as indeed would most human under the same conditions.

Bit of an update. Had a bit of an incident this morning with another staff, i spotted it off the lead and got cairo into a sit, so far so good,the other staff came belting up and just went for him. At that point i figured it was better to get cairo out of there so picked him up, bit of an altercation with the other dogs owner at which point the other guy told me MY dog should be muzzled!! WTF!! my dog was on the lead and sitting down. anyway we walked on and i let him off the lead in the field and a GSD/Collie cross came out of the bushes, before i had time to react cairo ran up to him sniffed and tried to get the other dog to play !! go figure lol. Seems being on the lead is the issue to me but we will keep working at it, we WILL get there in the end

I am sorry to hear you had that problem and shame on the other staffie owner for allowing their dog to be so out of control. It must have been a very worrying moment for you.

There are many dogs who have an opportunist tendency to go for other dogs on the lead, when they are themselves able to run free. I'd bet Cairo has had one or more bad experiences in the past and this is what is causing him to dislike the approach of other dogs while he is on the lead.